In Korea this year, Japanese music was no longer a niche confined to a select group of enthusiasts. Driven by widespread acceptance and an explosion of listeners across the board, a series of trends pushed the genre beyond the fever that gripped the nation last year, fully establishing itself as a distinct taste within the landscape of Korean popular music. J-pop is now a solid choice among teens and young adults, and one that wields considerable influence. And you can bet that the mounting evidence overwhelmingly counters any doubts that the trend is here to stay. With all that in mind, we’ve selected five key phenomena from the past year that highlight the undeniable power of Japanese music today.

Kenshi Yonezu leaps to the top of the charts on the success of “Chainsaw Man”
One of the most notable phenomena in Korean pop culture this year was the massive success of Japanese anime in theaters. “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” sold some 5.7 million tickets, while “Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc” pulled in a good 3.4 million, proving anime is far from a niche interest. This explosive popularity naturally translated into a ton of people listening to their songs, none benefitting more than “IRIS OUT” by Kenshi Yonezu. Although “Demon Slayer” outpaced “Chainsaw Man” by audience numbers, when it came to theme songs, Yonezu’s overwhelming star power outpaced them all.

Previously, the highest-charting J-pop song had been “NIGHT DANCER” by imase, but it was powerless to hold its position against the powerhouse pairing of the J-pop superstar with Denji and Reze’s dopamine-fueled love story. “IRIS OUT” climbed to a new peak on the Melon daily chart, rising from No. 17 to No. 12. It broke another record when it became the first Japanese song to reach No. 1 on the YouTube weekly music chart in Korea. The violent and romantic love song also broke records back in Japan when it reached 100 million streams more quickly than any song ever before, making it increasingly likely that the track would become another of Yonezu’s signature songs. The smashing success ultimately stood as yet another reminder of how Netflix has become the most effective route for anime and J-pop to spread its influence across the globe.

The ups and downs of the boom in Japanese musicians playing Korea
2025 was another year where fans of Japanese music had every reason to be excited. Their favorite artists were putting on concerts practically every week. Interestingly, there was a clear shift from big-name bands taking the focus to a more diverse lineup, including soloists, Vocaloid producers, and idol groups. Artists like NANAOAKARI, PinocchioP, Shinsei Kamattechan, and FRUITS ZIPPER were all feeling out their potential in the Korean market, starting with their loyal fans. You couldn’t ask for a better way to satisfy the curiosity of people just getting into the sound than a lineup that diverse.

With the influx of Japanese artists visiting Korea, though, time-crunched and cash-strapped fans were inevitably forced to make some tough choices. Consequently, some events failed to draw as many attendees as expected, and some were scaled down—likely due to lackluster ticket sales. Disappointments like these highlighted both the positives and negatives of the ongoing trend. Still, prominent names like Gen Hoshino, Seiko Matsuda, ONE OK ROCK, ZUTOMAYO, tuki., amazarashi, and King Gnu have already announced they’ll be visiting Korea in the first half of 2026. While this oversaturation may intensify competition among players in the music industry across the ocean, J-pop fans can continue to look forward to the enviable problem of having too much to choose from.

Instagram magazines, the hidden force powering the J-pop boom
At the heart of the rise of Japanese music are independently run Instagram accounts that constantly turn out related coverage akin to a magazine. Moving beyond the reviews, articles, and podcasts of traditional media, these accounts have become as popular as they have thanks to their single-frame posts and short-form videos. In fact, those in the Japanese music biz have come to recognize the influence of these accounts and now eagerly participate in coverage. A quick search turns up roughly a dozen accounts with thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers.

While most so-called Instagram magazines focus on big local updates that can guarantee clicks, many also put their own unique spin on things, suggesting they may have found the blueprint for a more modern music media landscape. Thanks to all the different styles and approaches their editors take, these accounts have become accessible and exciting entry points for Japanese music newcomers. Additionally, traditional media outlets that previously covered general pop music and trends have been ramping up their news and up-to-the-minute coverage. All in all, 2025 solidified J-pop as an irresistible choice for the social media-native generation.

Increased musical collaboration between Korea and Japan
The year was chock-full of vibrant collaborations. There were plenty such collaborations between musicians, but those between artists and producers stood out in particular, with one of the most notable being “Prema,” a joint effort between Fujii Kaze and 250. This unprecedented collaboration didn’t borrow casually from Western music—it was a commercially and critically successful deep dive into the history of American pop spanning the 1970s and ’80s. Also important to highlight is how many top-tier Japanese artists made cameos on K-pop songs targeting the Japanese market—for example, “Like 1” by TWICE with Taka and Toru from ONE OK ROCK, “Kawaii” by LE SSERAFIM with Gen Hoshino, and “Almond Chocolate” by ILLIT with Nakajin from SEKAI NO OWAR.

It’s also worth taking a look at shifts in the television industry. A standout example is “Han–Il Gawangjeon” on MBN, a Korea–Japan singing contest. As the first Korean music program to pit singers from the two countries against each other, the decision to foreground singing in Japanese really speaks to the changing times, breaking what was once considered an unspoken but widely understood taboo—even if it didn’t show on free-to-air TV. Reality audition show “Unpretty Rapstar: HIP HOP Princess,” co-produced by CJ ENM in Korea and Hakuhodo in Japan, is ongoing and going strong, and ENA and Fuji TV are gearing up to air “Change Street” to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Korea–Japan diplomatic relations. With projects like these in motion, it’s clear that similar collaborative efforts will only continue to expand.

As J-pop sweeps the nation, WONDERLIVET 2025 takes up the flag
When WONDERLIVET, a self-styled Japanese music festival, was announced last year, I had my reservations. As a J-pop lover, the news naturally made me happy, but somehow, I couldn’t shake the impression that this event would ultimately serve as a test bed for whether J-pop fever was here to stay. I personally felt that, if this festival were to be a one-and-done affair, it would be futile to hope the trend could establish deeper roots in Korea. Thankfully, with higher-than-expected attendance and enthusiasm on the first day, WONDERLIVET was quickly able to announce plans to return in 2025. Attendance figures jumped dramatically this year compared to the first event, with 40,000 people streaming in over three days—quite the leap from last year’s 25,000. The festival took up Halls 7, 8, and 9 of the exhibition center this year, but they’re already planning to expand to include Hall 10 next year.

Unlike the somewhat awkward atmosphere in the early stages of last year’s inaugural event, there was a clearer sense of the festival in the air, as opposed to fans simply coming to support their artist of choice alone. Also encouraging was how reasonable people found 329,000 won for a three-day pass to see so many groups in one place, considering the latent demand and relative scarcity of such events. For Japanese stakeholders, the festival likely cemented its reputation as a valuable showcase and launch pad for artists to hold their own concerts in Korea in the future. As I wrap up this article, I have to concede that the worries that hounded me as last year came to a close were probably unfounded. For those of us in Korea, 2025 turned out to be an unexpectedly rich and satisfying year for fans of Japanese music.